


Limerence

by ChaoticNeutral



Series: Felix AU [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Dubious Consent, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Love Potion/Spell, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, No Sex, Nothing Too Terrible Happens, Obsession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-09 04:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17994506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticNeutral/pseuds/ChaoticNeutral
Summary: There's an akuma attack featuring a love based akuma with the power to make people fall in love and become obsessed with the first person they see.Felix is a guarded and aloof individual who is not good with feelings.That may just be a good thing for once.





	Limerence

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the dark one. BE WARNED: it’s creepy and unsettling, and I have been told it is possibly even triggering.
> 
> This is based on the plot idea of Adrien and Felix being under the effects of a love akuma that makes them both fall for Marinette. Bear in mind that this is from the perspective of Felix while under the growing effects of the love akuma’s spell as they are trying to get away. Nothing goes too far, but the thoughts are obsessive and the situation still may be uncomfortable for some readers.

* * *

 

Felix was unusual. He knew this. Had long since accepted his strange qualities as simply part of who he was and tried to make the most of them.

 

He was by many counts considered beautiful. He was popular for his professionalism and presentation, never wasting time and being respectful of his coworkers and the crew as a whole. This made him an amazing model. Pleasant to work with. Appealing to the fans and viewers with his “bad boy” style—not that he really understood what made him be considered a “bad boy”, but if people like it and it paid the bills, he was willing to do what he had to.

 

But stars, he despised being touched.

 

This was troublesome, especially given his career where he had to be used to a number of strangers constantly touching him for one reason or another. Makeup, fittings, final touches, inane pleasantries with other notable figures in the industry he was forced to play “nice” for.

 

He would bear it with grace, holding himself firmly in place and letting them do as they wished, all while reminding himself that it was only temporary. It was only for a bit longer. Then once he was free, he would retreat to the relative safety of his own private room and spend the next several hours trying to forget the world around him existed and revel in the freedom and sense of personal control that only seemed to come with solitude.

 

Being touched by other people made his skin crawl. As such, he endeavored to keep any such contact as limited as possible.

 

But Marinette was…different.

 

The way her hand fit in his own was almost perfect. It was warm. Soothing even. A type of comfort he wanted to be wrapped up completely in. The feeling of her fingers intertwined with his sent tingling sparks of pleasure to his brain. He couldn’t remember the last time something as simple as touch actually made him feel better rather than imposed upon. If anything, this feeling made him want to stop running and just turn around—

 

Wait—he’s running away for a reason!

 

“MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!”

 

He winced at the scream of the akuma and other sounds that finally seemed to register—how long had he been oblivious to them?

 

…Why had he been oblivious to them? An akuma attack wasn’t the sort of thing one could just “ignore”. Not the chaos caused by it or the people panicking, much less the akuma itself. Especially THIS akuma, who seemed very intent on himself and Marinette in particular. Though Marinette was the bigger target…

 

He found himself slowing down as he realized just how jumbled his thoughts were. He felt disorganized. Distracted.

 

“Felix?”

 

Of course he was distracted, because it was Marinette Dupain-Cheng there with him and if anyone had a way of getting attention, it was her. The beauty of it was that she didn’t even have to try. Simply being there was often enough to change the very atmosphere of the surrounding area.

 

It was…pleasant.

 

But this was not the time!

 

He forced himself into a run again, trying to ignore the strange feelings or strangeness of how prominent they were. Gaining more ground to maneuver and evade their enemy, he tugged her around a corner and moved them both into one of the side hallways where they could hide for a moment and at least try to catch their breath.

 

A moment passed.

 

A screech resonated, but from further off. It looked like the akuma had lost them. For now, at any rate.

 

This would normally have him relieved, but he was more concerned with the growing strangeness of this situation. He should be looking to hide. He should suggest they split up since they were both targets—that way the akuma couldn’t get them both and whatever plan she had for the two of them couldn’t be accomplished until they were together. But while it was the sensible plan—the SMART plan…

 

_He didn’t want to._

 

What was wrong with him?

 

Why did it matter?

 

Well, could either of them separate at this point? He paused, considering. He had exerted quite a bit of energy and his muscles were burning, but he could certainly move if he had to.

 

But what about Marinette?

 

He looked up to his cohort in the recent escape and took her in.

 

Marinette looked tired and out of breath. She was panting after their desperate escape. He looked her over for any injuries. Her skin mostly flawless but marred with a few scrapes in the course of her escape due to the route they took and the other people they’d had to force their way past. The injuries were minor but unpleasant to see on her, and made him want nothing more than to try to kiss them away, maybe leave a few marks of his own to cover them—

 

He froze.

 

That…that didn’t sound normal.

 

Marinette gasped, drawing his attention straight back to her faster than he could blink. “Felix! Your eyes!”

 

His eyes?

 

He had no way of seeing, but he could feel a pulsing sensation. In his eyes. In his head. In his heart, which felt about ready to leap out of his chest just to be ever closer to—

 

“They’re _pink_.”

 

That snapped him out of it.

 

Oh.

 

… **Oh**.

 

Oh god.

 

Felix paled, horrified. He looked away as quickly as he could but he knew it was already long past too late and no longer made a difference.

 

He’d been hit.

 

He didn’t know when it had happened, but it had to have been after he had found Marinette. He had grabbed her when he noticed her heading in the direction of the chaos, likely unaware of the akuma following close behind and taking potshots at him. He hadn’t even realized any of the attacks had hit him, being so focused on running—and with Marinette there, then focused on getting them both out of range. And he recalled one moment where an attack just missed him…

 

He touched his shoulder where he remembered feeling the tingling of energy before as the attack brushed past him—just shy of hitting him.

 

At least, he thought. But what if it hadn’t? He didn’t see it. He didn’t know how these attacks worked. If he had to be hit head on or if even the barest of contact would be enough.

 

In this case, it seemed the latter was true.

 

A hit from the attack and fall in love with the first person you see. He was affected. Infected. And probably would be another one of the hopelessly lovestruck fools soon enough.

 

If he wasn’t already.

 

It…didn’t feel wrong though. Or different. Hadn’t he always thought well of her? If it had to be anyone, wasn’t it best that it was her? Hadn’t he previously—he must have—when had he ever not—

 

He grimaced and clutched his head as he was forced to reorient himself.

 

His feelings were compromised. How would he know that his emotions now were or were not what he had felt previously? He could feel at points the way his very thoughts would twist from where he was intending to go in order to focus in a different way entirely.

 

On her. Only on her. _His_ Lady.

 

He shook his head.

 

This…this wasn’t good. He needed to come up with a plan. Some way to fight back or stave this off! He needed to protect her! From himself! From all the other threats that were after her! From all the damn strays would dare to try to take her from him—

 

No, focus! He was the bigger threat right now!

 

But he couldn’t concentrate. All he could think about was her. Her eyes. Her hair. Her clothes. The number of freckles on her face. The feeling of her hand in his…

 

The way his hand felt achingly cold after having previously been gifted with the warmth of her touch. And how much he wanted it back—god, he wanted it back! He hated touch but what wouldn’t he have given to have just this!

 

He wanted to touch—to hold her—to keep her—

 

“Are you okay?” The question was asked so sweetly and broke through his spiraling thoughts.

 

No, he was not okay. He was thinking things and feeling things that made him want to be ill. Trying desperately to convince himself that this wasn’t him, that these thoughts weren’t his only to find they were making more and more sense and didn’t they just seem so _appealing_? Why not give in and enjoy it?

 

He hated touch.

 

But _her_ touch…

 

It was addicting. He wanted more. More hand-holding. More contact. He wanted to fall into and be surrounded by her while still clutching and surrounding her—hoarding every bit of Marinette to himself.

 

Was this because of the akuma? Was this what its control was like? Or was this really him?

 

Was he really this—

 

He winced, his eyes flashing pink.

 

“Felix?”

 

It felt so hard to breathe—! If he tried breathing through his nose, would he be able to pick up her scent over the smells of the city or his own sweat? What would he do then?

 

What would he want to do?

 

~~What wouldn’t he?~~

 

“I’m not going to be safe for you to be around much longer.” He said, sounding strained.

 

Hearing her gasp, he glanced up at her in worry and immediately regretted it. Her eyes were welling with concern for him—for HIM, and gods, wasn’t she just too kind and sweet to be worried about him when she was the one in danger with her flushed face and mussed hair that he really wanted to make that way for a very different, more _pleasant_ reason—

 

He choked and started coughing.

 

She didn’t want it. She doesn’t want it. She doesn’t—she doesn’t want HIM—

 

That’s right. A numbness—sweet blessed numbness settled over his brain like ice water. For all that it was temporary, it was a moment of sanity in his increasingly tumultuous thoughts.

 

Adrien. She wanted _Adrien_.

 

Adrien who had been hit earlier on and was already deep in the throes of the same damn thing. Of course having the boy she liked after her because of a love akuma would already make things hard enough. Oh god, this was a mess! Adrien was after her and she was in love with him! In love with that inept little child who didn’t understand the beauty of the heart he held or that it was even right there in his selfish horrible hands and he couldn’t appreciate it right the way _he_ could—

 

FOCUS.

 

“You need to get away from me.”

 

“But—”

 

“You already have Agreste trying to track you down. It won’t be much longer before I will be after you as well. You can’t—” He winced, finding it difficult to force the words out because he kept forgetting why he was telling her to leave. Why would he want her to leave?

 

“It’ll be okay.” Her optimism was a beacon even in these times. He couldn’t help but smile.

 

Of course it would be okay. She was there and she believed everything would be all right.

 

“Ladybug will fix this. You’ll see.” She told him with a smile. He could see how strained it was. He could practically count the number of specks in her gorgeous blue eyes. She was close to him.

 

Too close.

 

He—he couldn’t help himself and his hand shot out to grab her arm before he even realized it.

 

“F-Felix?”

 

Just holding her arm was enough to bring that pleasant feeling back. How much more wonderful would it be to lean into her fully? Would she pet him like a cat? Hold him? Could he hold her? He could hold and cradle her, keeping her away from the world and let it be just the two of them. She was so perfect. Like a Queen…

 

“Felix, you need to let go!”

 

Why would he do that? He needed to protect her. How could he do that if he let her leave? And wasn’t this better? She would be safe with him. And he could be happy. Happy and fulfilled and his purpose clear to be devoted solely and fully to her. He could almost grin in satisfaction. She was there and—

 

She wanted him to let go.

 

But why—

 

**She wanted him to let go.**

 

He gasped.

 

Marinette looked scared. She was starting to panic and he…he didn’t want her scared, right?

 

She didn’t want this. If—he fumbled, searching his ever increasingly muddled mind for the right thought even as they started to twist around him again and he forgot what he was thinking and why—if she didn’t want it, then that meant it wasn’t making her happy. And didn’t he want her to be happy if he lo—cared about her? Wasn’t that love? To do what SHE wanted?

 

The pink in his eyes flashed.

 

But he could show her. Prove himself. Show her how goOd it fEEls. SpReaD tHe **LOvE.**

 

He fell forward trying not to retch.

 

But still his traitorous hand would not release her.

 

“Felix!”

 

Stop it!

 

The curling twisting invasive thought of how much he wanted to keep her with him that seemed to slither into every corner of his mind like a snake coiling around his brain and constricting to the point he couldn’t _think_ —

 

stopitstopitstopit

 

—about anything other than how good it felt to have her there and how even better it felt to touch her and she was there with him and focused on him and he could hold her there until the Goddess arrived to finish the job. Or better yet, take her to the Goddess himself so she could _fix her_ so then all of his Queen’s focus would be on _him_ from then on—

 

STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT!

 

A tugging.

 

A whimper.

 

Another voice that hadn’t been there before—getting closer.

 

“Felix? Felix, please!” Marinette’s voice—getting desperate.

 

That stopped him cold.

 

Marinette does not consent, he reminded himself. She does not want this.

 

But he could _make her wa_ —

 

No, no, NO. **He would NOT!**

 

There was pain.

 

A sharp, stinging pain that brought him back to awareness of the situation—the crushing grip he had held on her arm.

 

And strangely enough, the grip of his other hand around his own wrist. His nails, though not sharp, were biting into the flesh of the hand that had been attempting to hold her in place. Enough to pierce the skin and draw blood. Enough to put pressure on the right spots to allow her to force her way out of his hold and a good distance away—far enough that she could easily evade him if he tried something like that again.

 

Pain was…actually quite useful in breaking through the sludge of thoughts, he found.

 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

 

And he was.

 

“It’s not your fault.” She insisted. But she looked scared.

 

He didn’t blame her.

 

“You need to get away. Now.”

 

This time she didn’t argue or waste words. She simply nodded and started to head through the hallway to the other side.

 

He turned away. He didn’t want to see which way she went. His sudden clarity was likely only temporary and he didn’t want to have any indication which way to go to try to track her. As she headed the one way, he looked back to the other end of the alcove, wondering if he should try to put more distance between them. Get himself lost somehow? Maybe lock himself in a closet until he was sure this was all over and he wasn’t going to irreparably harm her—

 

But a figure had appeared at the other end of the hallway.

 

“Marinette! I found you!”

 

Both teens froze.

 

Adrien Agreste stood there, smiling brightly and pink eyes shining brilliantly at the sight of them.

 

No. At the sight of _her_.

 

And everything in Felix—every part of him from his normal self to even the twisting milling mess that the akuma magic was making of his thoughts stood at attention and **growled**.

 

“Why did you leave?” Adrien asked, stepping forward. It was like he didn’t even see Felix. He only had eyes for the bluenette before him. Pink glowing eyes that only made his countenance all the more unsettling. “You didn’t have to run. If you were scared, I would have kept you safe.”

 

She stepped back, but made no further attempt at movement. “A-Adrien, you’re not…this isn’t…”

 

Felix felt himself growing more frustrated. Marinette was faltering. With Adrien right there, she was losing focus.

 

“Marinette, you need to get _away!_ ”

 

Marinette snapped up at the outburst, staring at Felix in surprise.

 

Adrien glared at him in a way that seemed so out of place on his normally kind features. “She doesn’t need to go anywhere. She’s just fine staying with me.”

 

Felix could almost feel his tongue becoming lead as he spoke. “The akuma—she’s after you. Don’t—” He had to force himself to choke out the words. “Don’t let us stop you.”

 

Don’t get caught because of us.

 

Stay away.

 

Stay safe.

 

Please…

 

“Don’t let anything happen that I’ll regret.”

 

That more than anything strengthened her resolve. Without another word, Marinette spun on her heel and ran.

 

“Marinette!” Adrien shouted, starting to dash after her.

 

At least, he would have if Felix hadn’t stood in his way, arms outstretched and in position to fight.

 

The smaller blond hissed at him. “You’re in my way!”

 

Felix smirked ferociously.

 

**“Good.”**

 

He was losing himself to the magic again. He knew it. He could feel it. Pulsing, pounding through his veins like liquid energy. Pulling his heart in a single direction and invading his mind once again.

 

But this time, it ceased to matter. Why would it?

 

This brat of a boy wanted to be a contender for his Queen’s heart?

 

 _Pathetic_.

 

He would defend her honor from this stray. And any other like him.

 

What else would a simple knight such as himself be for?

**Author's Note:**

> The idea was born out of variations of a "Love Akuma" concept and the multitude of ways it could play out. This is one of four ideas presented and voted on from my tumblr.
> 
> Adrien is hit by an akuma. In this variation, it takes place later on in the Felix Culpa AU when Marinette and Felix are on at least fairly good terms but Marinette is still fully in love with Adrien. Odds are that the akuma in question probably wanted to make the two of them fall in love with each other so she could take Adrien for herself. The akuma may or may not be Lila.
> 
> Marinette may or may not lay a serious beatdown as a result.
> 
>  
> 
> Tumblr: https://nobodyfamousposts.tumblr.com


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